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Ask for I.D. at the Polls

No, not voter I.D. I’m saying that there are a lot of people who hang out at the polls, and not all of them are poll workers– some are poll-watchers, a longstanding political tradition and guard against voter fraud.

I was talking with a co-worker yesterday and mentioned the election.

“I don’t know if I’ll vote”, she said, “it doesn’t make any difference”. Of course I launched into a sermon about the urgent call for citizens to uphold our democracy and all that stuff.

Then she told me that the last time she went she was hassled, and treated rudely, and what’s more– saw other voters stepping out of line with no objections.

I told her that this may have been overzealous poll watchers, because the workers at my polling place are efficient and pleasant, but poll watchers may be poorly trained– they may get away with annoying voters unless it gets extreme enough to call the cops.

I privately wondered if she had been profiled by overzealous poll watchers who are hopped up on stories of illegal voters, and think they know what those voters might look like. They might make things just unpleasant enough to make a citizen think twice about taking time out of work to wait in line and risk more of the same.

So, vote as if you life depended on it. Vote for our troops who fight in our name for reasons increasingly unclear. Vote for every one of your ancestors who was denied.

And if anyone steps in to interfere with you– ask them for I.D.

UPDATE: I just voted, it was a breeze, but kind sad about that. Turnout is very light as of 9:30am. A neighbor was volunteering as a ‘poll spotter’. She was checking off names on a list of registered voters as they came in. She said that if anyone is treated with any less than helpfulness and respect, get their name and call the Secretary of State.

I want to acknowledge all the poll workers over the years who were always a help and are dedicated to the process.

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4 thoughts on “Ask for I.D. at the Polls”

I’ve NEVER been hassled at all.Neither has my wife,who,in your world view “looks like” the kind of person who would be “profiled”.
Sadly,there was abundant parking and no line at my polling place.
If you can’t be bothered,don’t complain later.
BTW all your crowing about Linc Chafee’s “integrity” didn’t take notice that he is registered to vote in Warwick,takes a homestead exemption in Providence,and registers his cars(11 of them!!) in Exeter.
I guess if you want to protect illegal aliens,tax the poor and middle class on necessities,and hate gun owners,you’re A-ok,huh?What’s a little thing like tax cheating?
You know,I bet you never cheated on taxes.I didn’t.Only I don’t fall for these rich liberal hypocrites.

I know I am fortunate to be one half of a working couple, but taxes are not my biggest worry. A 1% sales tax would be $1 for every $100 spent on groceries. I don’t like regressive taxes like that, but raising property taxes will hit hard on elderly homeowners and will filter down to renters.
What worries me much more than taxes is seeing more boarded up houses in Providence, and more people begging on the streets. Governor Carcieri was ‘happy’ that the richest Rhode Islanders got a tax break this year. His goal was to lower taxes on the rich, and he can claim sucess.
Of course this did nothing for the economy, it’s not prosperity that’s trickling down on us from the upper class.

Stay tuned for more on this from me, but Chafee’s win is by no means a mandate. More people voted against than for him. He will be wise to really fight for programs that affect the economy positively. I’ve talked to a lot of nervous people across the state this morning.

This inbred fool has no clue where he really stands-he has a weird view of entitlement to oversee his “lessers”-the rules don’t apply to him and his “class”.
Someone on the radio put it this way-his crowd at the headquarters was “bluebloods”and socialists.
Well,most of the country got it right.
Forget California-they will deserve whatever happens with Governor Moonbeam and the little screech owl Barbara Levy-oops-Boxer.